Alleged gambling operator could face light sentence
Alleged gambling operator could face light sentence
JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor demanded on Tuesday that the
Central Jakarta District Court sentence an alleged gambling
operator to 10 months imprisonment with eight months for his
three employees.
The demand, however, was far lower than the term suggested in
Article 303 of the Criminal Code, which proposes a maximum 10
years in jail for any person convicted of purposely offering or
granting gambling opportunities.
"I ask the court to sentence the first defendant (gambling
operator) to 10 months in jail, and the second, third and fourth
defendants, who are employees of the first defendant, to eight
months in jail each," prosecutor Samadi Budisyam said.
Samadi told the hearing that the Central Jakarta Police
detectives arrested Charles Pakpahan, 48, and his four employees,
on the charge of running an illegal operation of judi buntut in
Room No. 1907 of Block B of the Oasis Apartments in Central
Jakarta on Feb. 29 this year.
Charles's four employees were identified as Lukdin Pakpahan,
39, who died of severe stress at the Salemba Penitentiary in
Central Jakarta earlier this year; Ronal Pakpahan, 22; Rano Said,
22, and Irsal alias Sal, 33.
Judi buntut, also known as togel or toto gelap, is a lottery
based on four numbers released every two or three days by dozens
of gambling operators.
Samadi said the operation run by Charles, comprised bets from
three different types, namely Karya Bhakti, Jaya Bhakti and Dana
Bhakti.
"Charles was the operator who prepared the ticket books, the
codes and decided on the winning numbers," Samadi said.
To date, it is not known how operators select the winning
numbers.
Upon leaving the courtroom, all four defendants warmly shook
hands with Samadi and thanked him for demanding light sentences
at the hearing.
Togel has simple rules. Those who correctly guess the last two
of the four winning numbers announced are paid 60 times what they
bet.
Those who match all four winning numbers receive 2,500 times
what they bet.
Most togel operators have agents across the city. An agent
usually works for more than one operator.
Samadi said Irsal, who worked five days for Charles at a daily
rate of Rp 20,000, worked as the Tanah Abang coordinator for
Karya Bhakti.
His work consisted of getting the ticket books from Charles,
passing them out to agents in the capital and getting the numbers
from the agents.
Samadi said Lukdin, who worked 20 days for Charles at a daily
rate of Rp 50,000 (US$5.80), received the numbers from field
coordinators for Jaya Bhakti, which each day earns up to Rp 4
million.
Ronal, who worked 10 days at a daily rate of Rp 20,000,
received the numbers from the field coordinators for Karya
Bhakti, which each day earns up to Rp 12 million.
Rano, who worked for a month on a daily salary of Rp 20,000
received the numbers from the field coordinators for Dana Bhakti.
(ylt)